Automatic feed weigher



July 12,1932. DECKER AUTOMATIC FEED WEIGHER Filed Aug. 2, 1929 PatentedJuly 12,- 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE CARL DECKER, OF KNIELINGEN,NEAR KARLSBUHE, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM HENNEFER -MASCHINENFAIBRIKG. REUTHER & BEISERT MIT IBESCHRANKTER HAFTUNG, OF HEHNEF-ON-THE-SIEG,GERMANY nu'ron'm'rrc FEED wnreniin Application filed August 2, 1929,Serial No. 382,994, and in- Germany December 27, 1928.

The subject of this invention is an automatic feed weigher with a mainfeed and a dribble feed for completing the weight, in which, for thepurpose of obtaining exact measurement of the weight, the vibrations ofthe beam set up during the main feed are prevented by a detaining deviceand in which the release of the part of the weigher detained by thedetaining device is efi'ected after a time interval by a retardingdevice, whereby the commencement of the remaining portion of thedownward movement of the receptacle for the material is dela ed, and thecompletion of the feed may be e ected while the beam remains steady.

The device of the present invention is of simpler construction thanknown devices of this kind while the operation is substantially improvedso that the rapidity of the successive weighing operations may besubstantially increased even with weighers of large size and serving toweigh large quantities.

In the construction shown the retarding device is combined with thedetaining device in a rotatable or oscillating structure which by asingle retarding movement efiects the release of the arrested member,such as the receptacle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a constructionwherein the period of oscillation can be varied so as to take care ofloads of different amount and materials of different kinds.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the arrangement andcombination of parts detailed below, claimed in the claims and shown inthe drawing, in which Figure 1 is a partial elevational view of a scaleillustrating one form of the invention,

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the arresting and damping membershown in Figure 1 in another position allowing the movable portion ofthe scale to descend further during the dribble feed,

Figure 3 is an elevational view of a modified construction for theretarding and damping member, and

Figure 4 is an elevational view of a still further modification of suchretarding and clamping member.

As above pointed out, this invention relates to scales in whichprovision is made for a main feed and a dribble feed for closelyapproximating the correct weight. Scales of this type are shown in thefollowing patents: M. E. Reisert 941,588 Nov. 30, 1909. M. E. Reisert,376,965 Jan. 24, 1888 M. E. Reisert 652,642 June 26, 1900 M. E. Reisert585,785 July 6, 1897.

The weighers illustrated have a ide passage 1 for introduction of thematerial permitting rapid weighing operations with rapid feed of thematerial. As usual there are provided an inner shutter 2 for cutting offthe main feed and an outer shutter 3 for terminating the dribble feed.

In the construction according to Fig. 1 the arm 23 is pivotallysuspended to rock about a knife-edge 5 (or pivot) fixed on the weigherframe, the said arm having at each side of and above its fulcrum aweighted arm 23a. That weighted arm 23a extending above the fulcrumcarries a weight biased towards the right hand side and tending toimpart to the lower part of the arm 23 slow rotation to the left. Thetwo weighted side arms 23a impart a certain inertia to the arm 23. Inthe lower partof the depending arm 23 is a notch 24 engaged by the partto be detained, that is, the pin 7 fixed to the receptacle 6 and, thesaid notch engaging the pin 7 from below. When in its upper position thepin prevents rotation of the arm 23 to the left. The lower portion ofthe notch 24 is adjoined at the right hand side to an open-ended slot25' the tacle 6 is temporarily prevented. The arm is now free from thepin 7 at the upper part of the notch, and moves slowly in clockwisedirection so that the slot travels over the consequence of the impact ofthe material falling into the receptacle, and in consequence of theincreasing distance of the edge 27 of the slot from the pivot of the arm23 the amplitude of vibration of the pin is pro- 27 on the pin 7 the arm23 is restored to the postion in which the pin 7 is located in the upperpart of the notch 24.

The variant illustrated in Fig. 3 differs from the construction lastabove described in respect that the notch 24 and the slot 25 are locatedabove the knife edge or pivot 5. The actuation of the arm 23 to rotatethe same slowly to the left is effected by reason that the centre ofgravity of the mechanism is located above the pivot 5 and disposed tothe leftadjacent to the vertical plane containing the pivot 5. Theweight 28 gives the desired inertia to encure slow initial movement ofthe system.

In this variant the slot 25 is so arranged that the upper boundarythereof is at a progressively decreasing distance from the pivot of thearm 23. Instead of the arm 23 the member effecting thearrest and theretardation may be constituted by a disc as shown in Fig. 4 in which theslot 25 communicating with the notch 24 may open at the edge of the discp ermittin the 'free downward movement of the pin for weighing duringthe dribble feed and permitting the weigher to be controlled also in theupward movement of the receptacle.

In the constructions according to Figs. 1 to 4 the period of Vibrationor oscillation can be varied by shifting the centre of gravity, that is,by shifting the weight which. gives the nver-counterbalancing effect (29in. Fig. 4).

I claim 1. In an automatic feed weigher of that type in which there is amain feed and a dribblefeed the combination comprising a fixed v frame,a movable receptacle, a shutter for the main feed, an unbalanced memberpivoted upon said fixed frame, means upon said movable receptaclecooperating with said unbalanced member to maintain said member out ofbalance until the termination of said main feed and means upon saidunbalanced member to retard temporarily the downward movement of saidreceptacle to prepare the same for the dribble feed.

2. In an automatic feed weigher of that type in which there is a mainfeed and a dribble feed the combination comprising a fixed frame, amovable receptacle, a shutter for said main feed, such shutter beingadopted to' close automatically upon the completion of the main feed, anunbalanced member pivoted upon said fixed frame, means upon said movablereceptacle cooperating with said unbalanced member to maintain saidmember out of balance until the termination of said main feed, meansupon said unbalanced member to retard temporarily the downward movementof said receptacle to prepare the same for the dribble feed and meansfor damp the verticle reciprocation of said receptacle prior to thecommencement of the dribble feed.

3. In an automatic feed weigher of that type in which there is a mainfeed and a dribble feed the combination comprising a fixed frame, amovable receptacle, a shutter for said main feed, such shutter beingadapted to close automatically upon the completion of the main feed, anunbalanced member pivoted upon said fixed frame, said unbalanced memberhaving a slot therein, a pin upon said movable receptacle cooperatingwith said slot-to maintain said member out of balance until thetermination of said main feed and said pin cooperating with an edge ofsaid slot to retard temporarily the downward movement of said receptacleto prepare the same for the dribble feed.

4. In an automatic feed weigher of that type in which there is a mainfeed and a dribble feed the combination comprisin a fixed portion, amovable portion, an un alanced member pivoted upon said fixed portion,

, means upon said movable portion cooperat- .frame, a movablereceptacle, a shutter for said main feed, such shutter being adapted toclose automatically upon the completion of the main feed, an unbalancedmember pivoted upon said fixed frame, said unbalanced member having aslot therein having a recess therein extending toward the pivot point ofsaid member and a pin upon said movable receptacle cooperating with saidrecess to malnream-142 tain said member out of balance until theterfixed frame, a movable receptacle, a shutter for said main. feed,such shutter being adapt-.

ed to close automatically upon the completion of the main feed, anunbalanced member pivoted upon said fixed frame, said unbalanced memberhaving a slot therein having a recess therein extending toward the pivotpoint of said member, a pin upon said movable receptacle cooperatingwith said recess to maintain said member out of balance until thetermination of said main feed and said slot having one edge thereof sodisposed so as to cooperate with said pin to retard temporarily thedownward movement of said receptacle to prepare the same for dribblefeed.

7. In an automatic feed weigher of that type in which there is a mainfeed and a dribble feed the combination comprising a fixed frame, amovable receptacle, a shutter for said main feed, such shutter beingadapted to close automatically upon the completion of the main feed, anunbalanced member pivoted upon said fixed frame, said unbalanced memberhaving a slot therein having a recess therein extending toward the pivotpoint of said member, a pin upon said movable receptacle cooperatingwith said recess to maintain said member out of balance until thetermination of said main feed and said slot having the edges thereof sodisposed as to cooperate with said pin to retard temporarily thedownward movement of said receptacle and damp the vertical reciprocationof said receptacle to prepare the same for the dribble feed.

8. In an automatic feed weigher of that type in which there is a mainfeed and adribblefeed the combination comprising a fixed frame, amovable receptacle, an unbalanced member pivoted upon said fixed frame,a pin upon said movable member, said unbalanced member having a slottherein with which said pin cooperates, one edge of said slotcooperating with said pin to retard temporarily the downward movement ofsaid receptacle and the other edge of said slot being cam shaped so asto increase said retarding action.

9. In an automatic feed weigher of that type in which there is a mainfeed and a dribble feed the combination comprising a fixed frame, amovable receptacle, an unbalanced member pivoted upon said fixed frame,a pin upon said movable member, said unbalanced member having a slottherein with which said pincooperates to retard temporarily the downwardmovement of said receptacle and means for varying the speed of theoscillations of said unbalanced member.

10. In an automatic feed weigher of that type in which there is a mainfeed and a dribble feed the combination comprising a fixed frame, amovable receptacle, an unbalanced member pivoted upon said fixed frame,a pin upon said movable member, said unbalanced member having a slottherein with which said pin cooperates to retard temporarily thedownward movement of said receptacle and a movable weight upon saidunbalanced member whereby the speed of oscillations of said unbalancedmember can be varied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CARL DECKER.

